1 PLAGIARISM What is it? Why is it important to me? How can I avoid it? (Or, did my third grade teacher lie to me?) References for more information. Presentation by Joyce A. Brannan, Technical Services Librarian, Julia Tutwiler Library, University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

2 PoliticsNJ, The Pulblis Group, Hoboken, NJ. The simplest definition of plagiarism:

3 According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary ( to plagiarize means: “transitive senses : to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source intransitive senses : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source”

4 Did You Know? The word plagiarism comes from the Latin plagiarius meaning "kidnapper" San Jose State University, Plagiarism Tutorial,

5 Why is plagiarism important? Who really cares ?  Plagiarism is theft of intellectual property.  Plagiarism is cheating.  Plagiarism may result in receiving an ‘F’ or zero for the assignment. In some instances, the case may be brought before the Student Life Committee for disciplinary action. (see the UWA Tiger Paw Student Handbook, “Academic Dishonesty,”

6 Eastern Kentucky University, From Today's Cartoon by Randy Glasbergen,

7  Possibly the most important reason to not plagiarize is that it robs you of the educational experiences involved in research, thinking, and writing. One of the main purposes of higher education is to learn to do research, to help expand thought processes, to improve writing skills, and to learn to prepare presentations. Taking credit for someone else’s work hurts you most of all.

8 Carnegie Mellon University, Enhancing Education, “Plagiarism and the Web.” Some of the things that you think you know about plagiarism may be wrong.

9 Alive or dead, it does not matter. If it is not your own idea, you must cite your source!!

10 If you translate or paraphrase something, you must still give a citation. Falan Dafa Clearwisdom.net, English version of Minghui.org,

11 You may have been told that if you put something into your own words, you need not cite. This is incorrect. The material is still someone else’s idea and requires acknowledgement. Paraphrasing requires a citation.

12 Do you know how to paraphrase correctly? Paraphrasing is more than simply rewording the original material! It must be almost entirely in your own words. You must use new synonyms and new phrases. Only technical terms should be repeated. Any exact words that are retained should have quotation marks around them. The sentence structure should be yours, not the same as in the source. Do not add ideas, interpretations, explanations, or assessments.

13 Examples: Source: Unless steps are taken to provide a predictable and stable energy supply in the face of growing demand, the nation may be in danger of sudden power losses or even extended blackouts, thus damaging our industrial and information- based economies. – John Doe, 1999, p.231. Inadequate paraphrase: Doe recommends that the government take action to provide a predictable and stable energy supply because of constantly growing demand. Otherwise, we may be in danger of losing power or even experiencing extended blackouts. These circumstances could damage our industrial and information-based economy. (231).

14 The inadequate paraphrase is guilty of plagiarism even though the material is cited correctly. The writer has used too many word-for-word phases from the source. Also, the order of the ideas is unchanged from the source. Compare the following correct paraphrase: Doe believes that we must find a more reliable source of energy if we are to have a dependable electricity supply. Without this, the nation’s economic base may be damaged by blackouts (231). Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. Robert A. Harris. Los Angeles, California: Pyrczak Publishers, 2002.

15 Quotations should be used sparingly. They must be exact, word-for-word as they appear in the original document. Quotes require a citation in addition to the use of quote marks. Every quoted word needs to be cited. Even a short phrase or single word must be quoted and cited if it is unusual. “pretzeled logic” “clandestine coup” Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. Robert A. Harris. Los Angeles, California: Pyrczak Publishers, 2002.

16 Quotations must be attributed to the original author and the source that you used. For example: If you use the phrase, “Fourscore and twenty years ago, our forefathers...” you must give credit to Abraham Lincoln and the book in which he is quoted. Lincoln, Abraham. Gettysburg Address. In Lincoln at Gettysburg: the Words that Remade America, Garry Wills. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.

17 The Plagiarism Handbook by Roger A. Harris,

18 Sorry, you cannot use someone else’s paper, art work, or presentation without proper citation even if he gave you permission. (Of course, your instructor may not want someone else’s paper as your work even with proper citation!) You may even have to cite yourself. If you created a work for a previous paper or presentation, and you are using it again, you must cite your previous work. Did you notice that ‘roommate’ is spelled incorrectly on the previous slide?

19 What about all that “free” stuff people put on the web? Can you use that? Kraft Foods, No. Free means economically free, you do not have to pay for it. The “free” stuff has a specific use and can only be used free for the intended use. If you use the words, graphics, or ideas, you must give a citation.

20 There are many sites that will sell you an essay or term paper. Presenting this material as your own is plagiarism. Some of the papers for sale sites do have disclaimers saying that you must cite their work. Essays on D. H. Lawrence, REMEMBER, IF YOU CAN FIND IT, SO CAN YOUR PROFESSOR!

21 Sometime in elementary school you may have been told that if your information comes from an encyclopedia or a dictionary it is common knowledge and does not need to be cited. That is a MAYBE. What is common knowledge?

22 Common knowledge consists of: Information that is easily observed – the sky is blue, but not a detailed explanation of why the sky is blue. Commonly reported facts – George Washington was the first president of the United States, but not the information that historians have to say about Washington. Common sayings such as proverbs – “Waste not, want not;” “Look before you leap.” Common knowledge does not need to be cited, but be sure that what you are using really is common knowledge. When in doubt ask either your instructor or a librarian.

23 HOW TO CITE Always ask your professor what citation style you should use! The three most commonly used citation styles at The University of West Alabama are MLA, APA, and Turabian. There are other styles that may be used in science, music, medicine, and law.

24 MLA Style In MLA style, you acknowledge your sources by keying brief parenthetical citations in your text to an alphabetical list of works that appears at the end of the paper. Example in your paper: Ancient writers attributed the invention of the monochord to Pythagoras, who lived in the sixth century BC (Marcuse 197). In your Works Cited list: Marcuse, Sibyl. A Survey of Musical Instruments. New York: Harper, NOTES

25 MLA Citation A parenthetical citation in MLA style contains only enough information to enable readers to find the source in the works cited list. If the author’s name is mentioned in the text, only the page number appears in the citation. If more than one work by the author is in the list of works cited, a shortened version of the titles is given as in this example.

26 Although the list of works cited appears at the end of your paper, you need to draft the section in advance so that you will know what information to give in parenthetical references as you write. Key brief parenthetical citations in your text to your alphabetical list of works cited as clearly and briefly as possible. References in the text must clearly point to specific sources in the list of works cited. Identify the location of the borrowed information as specifically as possible. Give the relevant page number(s) in the parenthetical reference. Citation and Works Cited Rules

27 Place the parenthetical reference where a pause would naturally occur (preferably at the end of a sentence), as near as possible to the material documented. If the author's name is mentioned in the text of your work, only the page number appears in the citation. When your Works Cited page lists only one work by the author cited, you need give only the author's last name and page number(s): (Patterson ). If more than one work by an author is in the list of works cited, a shortened version of the title is also included in the parenthetical documentation. If the work is listed by title in the Works Cited page, use the title and page number(s) in your parenthetical documentation.

28 WHEN IN DOUBT, USE A CITATION!!